Tuesday, 13 August 2013

MORE FOXHUNTING HOOLIGANS BROUGHT TO BOOK

EARLIER today four members of the Middleton Foxhounds, based at Malton in North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to illegal foxhunting in December last year.

The case was brought thanks to video footage obtained by the League Against Cruel Sports during a hunt meet at Full Sutton, East Yorkshire.  Huntsman Tom Holt, Whipper-in Shaun Marles, Terrierman Lee Martin, and Amateur Terrierman Brian Cuthbertson all pleaded guilty in respect of Section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004.  This is the offence of Hunting a Wild Mammal with a Dog.

The League’s Investigations Team saw a fox take refuge from the hunt in a stack of hay bales.  The animal was trapped in the bales for over 25 minutes, with hunt staff using terriers, sticks and hounds to force the fox to flee into the open.  Eventually it did attempt to escape, and was brought down and torn apart by the waiting pack of hounds.

The huntsman could then clearly be seen, and was filmed, using his hunting horn to blow the traditional call for a kill (used when hunting was legal).  He then picks up the fox carcass and holds it over the hounds so that they could better attack and ‘rag’ it.

These rural hooligans think they are above the law, but this is yet another case that proves they are not.  Holt was fined £200 + £20 surcharge + £85 costs = £305 total; Marles was fined £100 + £20 surcharge + £85 costs = £205 total;  Martin was fined £100 + £20 surcharge + £85 costs = £205 total and Cuthbertson was given a 12 months Conditional Discharge, £15 victim surcharge + £85 costs = £100 total.

Meanwhile, David Cameron and most Tory MPs want to legalise this criminal behaviour by repealing the Hunting Act. 

To find out more about the work of the League Against Cruel Sport  visit www.league.org.uk 
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1 comment:

  1. Unknown16 August 2013 at 01:00

    Hi Chris,
    The truth is if they had flushed the fox with two hounds and shot it you still end up with one very dead fox and that would have been lawful. Your back slapping only shows how utterly desperate you are when you consider your cohorts at the Burns inquiry said they were not so concerned over the kill as its quick once caught, but the prolonged chase or sporting element and the video used to convict the huntsmen shows a quick kill and a very short chase. By your celebrations it would appear you can’t remember why you fought for the hunting act in the first place that or you and your cohorts are totally stupid, which one is it?

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